Issues: Arts funding battle brews

To what degree is arts funding an issue for this fall’s municipal election?

A fight over scarce arts funding looms with a planned overhaul of the city’s hodgepodge of community grants.

The public will have the month of July to comment on a new “city enrichment fund” designed to swallow all other city grant programs — but it’s not yet clear how much money will be available or how it will be doled out.

Project lead John Hertel admits the change has worried the city’s “anchor” arts organizations that fear losing grant money. The Art Gallery of Hamilton, for example, receives $1 million annually out of about $1.6 million of total municipal arts funding under a 10-year deal expiring after 2016.

“Unless you provide additional funding, you should not approve this (new) program,” said Carl Turkstra, who spoke on behalf of the anchor groups, including Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Theatre Aquarius, Festival of Friends and Brott Music Festival.